20 years of FIFA, 21 legendary FIFA covers

For a long time, FIFA was known for its style over substance, parading its official licenses as a badge of honour but consistently falling short where it mattered most in the eyes of most football connoisseurs – the action on the pitch.

But from the once annoying adolescent came a stunningly chiselled, immaculately presented adult, offering gameplay so real you can almost hear David Moyes’ sideline rants and get a regular waft of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Armani cologne.

It’s 20 years since the FIFA series was unleashed in the lead up to the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Few could have predicted just how big a part of youth (and plenty of adults) gaming culture this franchise would become. It has continually reinvented itself to cater for its ageing original audience but also to appeal to the younger players with innovations like FIFA Ultimate Team.

We thought we’d celebrate 20 years and FIFA 14 with a trip down memory lane. Enjoy.